Golden Girls on Marriage Equality.
I will say that The Perfect Family, which premiered at Tribeca, had an unfair advantage given that I would show up, eagerly, to watch (and listen to) Kathleen Turner read the phone book, and in addition to being a consummate film actor, she is also an outspoken advocate of Planned Parenthood. But advantages aside, The Perfect Family is a darling of American independent cinema. Turner plays Eileen Cleary, nominated for Catholic Woman of the Year (but in close running with her childhood nemesis). Her priest tells her she’s going to win by a mile since she has a perfect family, a successful lawyer lesbian daughter (living partially in the closet and about to marry her partner), a son who is having an affair, and her own struggling marriage to a recovering alcoholic. The film doesn’t rely on quirkiness, but is instead populated by very real characters, both due to wonderful performances and excellent dialogue. When I found out the screenwriter Claire V. Riley was a first time screenwriter, I about died of shock, not only because of her gift at crafting her characters, but also because the arc of the film is so well designed. When she told me she came from a background in Social Anthropology, I understood.
Ms. Riley is a storyteller who studied families (lesbian partners and their families), and thus understands familial dynamics. She got right to the core and made it incredibly amusing and moving to watch. I laughed (a lot); I cried. I will post a trailer for the film as soon as it is released.
Laura Bush is a fascinating, smart, articulate woman. What impresses me so much in this video is how carefully she chooses her words; the intention behind each one of them, making sure to state her views without speaking ill of her husband and his beliefs. It’s not a path I’d walk, but I admire her.
I know Laura Bush is pro-choice, but until today, I did not know that she supported Gay Marriage. It hardly surprises me given her thoughtful approach to social issues, illustrated in this clip when she notes that opposition to Gay Marriage will probably cease with time as so much of the issue can be a generational divide (Let’s hope!).
I don’t know how or why she is married to George W. Bush (though the part of Oliver Stone’s biopic W that I most enjoyed dealt with this partnership- the part I least enjoyed was when we were supposed to accept Josh Brolin as an 18-year-old. The whole scene, I kept wondering why they let the 40-year-old-man into Skull and Bones. Then I thought, hey isn’t that the guy from Bring It On leading the initiation?!). But, Hollywood movies aside, or maybe because of, one has always gotten the sense that she does truly love him, and they seem to respect each other, even when, or especially when, they disagree on issues.
video re-blogged from rpthayer
